Gaknulak
A demi-god of the kobolds, Gaknulak, is lawful evil aligned. He is also known as the Trapmaster. His favored weapon is the hand axe. Strong defenses are necessary to ensure the continued survival of kobolds as a race. Clever traps and ambushes are a vital part of these defenses, as they play to the strengths of the kobolds and to the weaknesses of other races and monsters. He advises his followers to never fight in the open when one can lure opponents into traps and/or ambushes. Others may call this cowardly, but because other races are large and strong while the kobolds are small and weak, it is the only way to even the odds or even give his people a fighting chance. Gaknulak is a small, dark kobold with a mane of white hair, a cloak with bulging pockets, and a hand axe. He is highly intelligent and carries a magical cauldron from which he pulls tools, unpredictable minor allies, and diverse resources for fooling others. He is wiser and more pragmatic than Kurtulmak, his master. Gaknulak lives in the realm of Aknuthrak on Khalas, the first layer of the Plane of Bleak Eternity of Gehenna. Gaknulak is allied with Dakarnok and his superior is Kurtulmak; together they form the heart of the Kobold Pantheon. His enemy is Garl Glittergold and his entire Gnomish Pantheon. Gaknulak holy symbol is a cauldron with whirling ellipses. History Gaknulak is the kobold deity of trickery and traps, the patron of those who use cunning and guile to defend the home burrows instead of straightforward combat. He is a subtle and clever god, and encourages similar intelligent behavior in his followers. It is he who taught kobolds both trap creation and practical trickery in defense of their homes; both he and his followers believe that such subterfuges are much more effective than open combat. Although some would consider this sort defensive strategy to be cowardly, both the Trapmaster and his followers would respond that such trickery levels the playing field against the many larger and stronger foes of the kobold race. Gaknulak and his followers believe that luring enemies into cleverly positioned traps and then stealthily withdrawing in order to attack at advantageous bottlenecks is the only strategy that ensures that the kobolds will continue to survive despite the best efforts of those who would destroy them or drive them out. Although only a demi-power, Gaknulak is well-known and both he and his followers are highly regarded in kobold society, as his followers ensure the safety of the common kobolds' homes. As the deity of trickery and stealth, he is also the patron of kobold spies and thieves. But no matter how well admired he and his followers are among the general kobold populace, he has little authority over the day-to-day and domestic affairs of the race. Kurtulmak holds these portfolios, and, even though his relations with his subordinate are cordial, the Overlord of the Kobolds jealously guards his areas of influence, ensuring that the Trapmaster will never become powerful enough to be a rival. Other than Kurtulmak, Gaknulak has no close allies. He maintains a guarded neutrality with his fellow kobold power Dakarnok; even though he and Gaknulak have diametrically opposing views regarding the overall strategy of kobold warfare, their mutual bickering never grows too serious because Kurtulmak steps in and deals with any potential problems before they degenerate too far. The Trapmaster can maintain only a guarded neutrality towards Kuraulyek; he would like to aid him in the defense of urd homes, but he knows that Kurtulmak would be greatly displeased at any overt assistance to his one-time servant. Like his superior, Gaknulak does not get along with the gnome pantheon; however, this is mostly an incidental result of being involved in Kurtulmak's ceaseless schemes against the Gods of the Golden Hills instead of some ancient personal animosity. Like Kurtulmak, he does his best to avoid the attention of the other goblinoid gods; while considering them to be for the most part stupid and oafish creatures, he fears their greater physical power. Like all evil goblinoid deities, he despises Meriadar's philosophy of peace and passive resistance. Gaknulak is served by baatezu, barghasts, black dragons, deep dragons, imps, maelephants, nightmares, shadow dragons, slasraths, terlen, vaporighu, and yugoloths. He shows his favor by the discovery of black opals, black pearls, black sapphires, jet, horn coral, obsidian, and onyx. Gaknulak (The Trapmaster) Demipower of Gehenna, LE Portfolio: Protection, stealth, trickery, traps Aliases: None Domain Name: Khalas/Aknuthrak Superior: Kurtulmak, Mask Foes: The gnome pantheon, Meriadar Symbol: A cauldron decorated with whirling ellipses Wor. Align.: LE, NE Gaknulak (GAK-nu-lak) is the kobold deity of trickery and traps, the patron of those who use cunning and guile to defend the home burrows instead of straightforward combat. He is a subtle and clever god, and encourages similar intelligent behavior in his followers. It is he who taught kobolds both trap creation and practical trickery in defense of their homes; both he and his followers believe that such subterfuges are much more effective than open combat. Although some would consider this sort defensive strategy to be cowardly, both the Trapmaster and his followers would respond that such trickery levels the playing field against the many larger and stronger foes of the kobold race. Gaknulak and his followers believe that luring enemies into cleverly positioned traps and then stealthily withdrawing in order to attack at advantageous bottlenecks is the only strategy that ensures that the kobolds will continue to survive despite the best efforts of those who would destroy them or drive them out. Although only a demipower, Gaknulak is well-known and both he and his followers are highly regarded in kobold society, as his followers ensure the safety of the common kobolds' homes. As the deity of trickery and stealth, he is also the patron of kobold spies and thieves. But no matter how well admired he and his followers are among the general kobold populace, he has little authority over the day-to-day and domestic affairs of the race. Kurtulmak holds these portfolios, and, even though his relations with his subordinate are cordial, the Overlord of the Kobolds jealously guards his areas of influence, ensuring that the Trapmaster will never become powerful enough to be a rival. As previously stated, Gaknulak and Kurtulmak are on good terms, although the former is at times jealous of his superior's power, while the latter periodically treats his subordinate in an overly-tyrannical manner. However, more often than not, the two work together to ensure the continued survival and expansion of the kobold race. Unfortunately for Gaknulak, his superior often drives him to distraction since Kurtulmak is well-known for acting emotionally and impulsively instead of thinking out his plans as the Trapmaster would prefer. As a result, Gaknulak often is dragged along against his better judgement when the Overlord of the Kobolds hatches another of his hare-brained schemes. Despite his best efforts to correct some of the more obvious defects in his superior's plans, more often than not such expeditions end in humiliating failure. After each embarrassment, Gaknulak swears he won't be drawn into another of Kurtulmak's plans, but inevitably a combination of bullying and cunning persuasion ensnares the Trapmaster in yet another of Kurtulmak's schemes... Other than Kurtulmak, Gaknulak has no close allies. He has a fairly good working relationship with Mask, each sharing information regarding traps and stealth with the other (although by no means all such information - they are thieving deities after all). The Trapmaster can maintain only a guarded neutrality towards Kuraulyek; he would like to aid him in the defense of urd homes, but he knows that Kurtulmak would be greatly displeased at any overt assistance to his one-time servant. Like his superior, Gaknulak does not get along with the gnome pantheon; however, this is mostly an incidental result of being involved in Kurtulmak's ceaseless schemes against the Gods of the Golden Hills instead of some ancient personal animosity. Like Kurtulmak, he does his best to avoid the attention of the other goblinoid gods; while considering them to be for the most part stupid and oafish creatures, he fears their greater physical power. Like all evil goblinoid deities, he despises Meriadar's philosophy of peace and passive resistance. Gaknulak's Avatar (Thief 25, Illusionist 25, Fighter 15, Cleric 15) Gaknulak's avatar appears as a small, dark kobold with white hair, wearing dark leather armor. He possesses a long cloak with innumerable pockets, all filled with objects that range from helpful to useless. Moreover, he owns a magic cauldron from which he produces trap-making tools, random minor magic items, and other diverse items that can be usefully employed by the clever. On those rare occasions in which he engages in combat, he carries a razor-sharp hand axe at his belt. The Trapmaster most often employs spells from the illusion/phantasm and alteration schools. AC -5; MV 18 fl 36 sw 12; HP 171; THAC0 2; # ATT 5/2 Dmg 1d6 + 5 (hand axe +3, +2 specialization) MR 40%; SZ S (3 ½ feet tall) STR 15, DEX 23, CON 18, INT 22, WIS 18, CHR 23 Spells P 8/8/7/7/4/2/1, W: 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5* Saves PPDM: 4, RSW: 3, PP: 5, BW: 4, Sp: 4 * includes one additional illusion spell per level Special Att./Def.: Gaknulak avoids combat whenever possible, tending to instead lure potential threats towards specially prepared areas that are filled with cunning traps and where he can use his stealth and spells to finish off any survivors. If cornered, however, Gaknulak wields Trapspringer, his hand axe +3. Trapspringer harmlessly disarms traps at touch and can be used to cast a knock spell three times a day. His cloak functions as robe of useful items, with pockets instead of patches. He has also been known to carry or wear a variety of magic items dealing with stealth, spying, and trickery such as boots as speed and ring of chameleon power. He also carries a wand of polymorphing, which he most often uses to turn targets into piglets for future meals. Gaknulak is immune to all illusion/phantasm spells. He can detect and disarm all traps outside of those that are exceptionally magical or created by other deities. Gaknulak can hide in shadows and move silently at 99%. Unlike Kurtulmak, who rarely sends his avatar to the Prime Material plane, the Trapmaster's avatar is often active on Toril. Gaknulak often oversees the defenses of kobold warrens, and will often fight along side his followers (mainly in ambushes) when their homes are threatened by invaders. Other Manifestations: When he feels that it is unnecessary to send his avatar, Gaknulak often will manifest in more quiet ways. Such omens are normally quite subtle, often testing his priests' and followers' intelligence and power of perception. Such manifestations include minor changes in trap and defenses, moved or misplaces tools or other items, and subtly rearranged clothes and weapons. When such changes are advantageous, Gaknulak is showing his favor, while his displeasure is indicated when the opposite occurs. The Trapmaster also has been known to grant temporary boons to especially favored followers. These include increased stealth abilities, the sudden awareness of hidden traps or pitfalls, and inspiration when creating and placing traps and ambushes. Gaknulak is served by baatezu, barghests, black dragons, deep dragons, imps, maelephants, nightmares, shadow dragons, slasraths terlen, vaporighu, and yugoloths. He shows his favor by the discovery of black opals, black pearls, black sapphires, jet, horn coral, obsidian, and onyx. The Church Clergy: Clerics, shamans, specialty priests, thieves Clergy's Align: LE, NE Turn Undead: Cl: Nil, Sha: Nil, SP: Nil Cmnd. Undead: Cl: Yes, Sha: Nil, SP: Nil All clerics, shamans, specialty priests, and specialty priest/thieves of Gaknulak receive religion (kobold) as a bonus non-weapon proficiency. The clergy of the Trapmaster are a fairly common sight in kobold society (although not as common as the followers of Kurtulmak), and are held in high esteem. They are most often employed in the defense of the burrows, setting up and checking traps, and practicing ambushes. Many periodically leave the home tunnels altogether for short periods, going out into the wider world to spy on nearby societies, gathering information on the strengths and weaknesses of nearby societies and whether there is any possibility of imminent invasion. Followers of Gaknulak know every nook of their home tunnels, and has the location of every trap and ambush site ingrained into his or her memory.. Thus, when an invader does strike, the followers of the Trapmaster have every advantage over their opponent, and will often drive unprepared opponents away with a minimum of kobold casualties. The structure of the church of Gaknulak is highly stratified as a result of the military nature of the faith. Lines of command are clearly organized, and each kobold knows his of her place in the overall structure of the church. However, this regimented structure is not static; indeed, there is almost continual movement up and down in rank as superiors are challenged by underlings wanting to move up in the hierarchy. Advancement is based on strength and cunning; defeating one's superior, in either straightforward combat or through the use of ingenious tricks and/or traps (the preferred method) is an excellent way to move up in rank. Titles for the various ranks tend not to be widespread; the insular and isolated nature of kobold society inhibits any standardization of titles. Common titles include Scout, Pitdigger, Trapmaster, and Ambushleader. High ranking priests often add "High" or "Master" in front of such titles to denote their rank. Specialty priests are often, though not always, known as tapnulik (the plural form of tapnulek), which can be roughly translated as "builders of traps". The vast majority of the followers of Gaknulak are kobolds (98%), with the remainder almost made up entirely of urds, with a few scattered goblins and xvarts who are generally looked down upon by both their own and kobold society. Because kobold society is dominated by males, they make up the majority of the clergy (80%), although it is certainly not unheard of for a female to reach high-ranking positions. Tapnulik and multi-class tapnulik/thieves make up the majority of the clergy (35% and 25% respectively), while most of the remainder is made up of shamans (35%); clerics are a tiny minority (5%). All the various branches of the faith cooperate with each other for the sake of the common defense of the kobold dens. The followers of Gaknulak also have good working relationships with the clergy of Kurtulmak, who are often the ruling caste in kobold society. Relations with the clergy of Kurulyek are much cooler, mostly due to the enmity between the Urd Father and Kurtulmak. If the Overlord of the Kobolds would allow it, the clergy of Gaknulak would gladly expand their sphere of influence to cover the defense of urd homes, but given the chilly relations between the supreme gods of the kobolds and urds, this is not likely to occur anytime soon. Dogma: Strong defenses are necessary to ensure the continued survival of the kobold race. Clever traps and ambushes are vital to these defenses, as they play to the strengths of the kobolds and to the weaknesses of others. Never fight in the open when one can lure opponents into traps and/or ambushes. Others may call this cowardly, but because other races are large and strong while the kobolds are small and weak, it is the only way to even the odds. Day-to-day activities: Obviously, the main duty of the church of Gaknulak is to ceaselessly prepare for the day the home warrens are invaded, and to defend the burrows when that event occurs. Therefore, they tirelessly maintain the innumerable traps set up in the entrances of the kobold complexes, periodically building new ones and destroying some of the old in order to deceive any previous spies or invaders. They also train in luring said invaders towards both these traps and pre-set ambush locations. Often, especially intelligent and sneaky members of the faith are sent by their superiors to spy on neighboring societies, sniffing out potential threats or possible victims. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Given the insular nature of kobold society, there are no universally observed holy days or widely performed ceremonies; all such matters are celebrated on a purely local level. Many, although by no means all, followers of the Trapmaster observe the winter solstice as the holiest day of the year, considering the long darkness as a symbol of Gaknulak's shadowy nature. Most ceremonies are celebrations a faithful's rise in rank or completion of a first ambush, trap, etc. Yet again, such ceremonies are purely local in flavor, varying from one kobold warren to the next. Major Centers of Worship: In the Cloud Peaks of northern Amn, about halfway between Nashkel and the Sea of Swords, what at first appears to be a typical kobold complex is in fact the best- known center of the worship of the Trapmaster. Here, long ago, a larger-than-average and cleverer-than-average kobold, commonly believed to be the avatar of Gaknulak himself, led the defense of complex against an overwhelming number of goblins and other humanoids. Employing particularly fiendish traps and luring enemies into completely unforseen ambushes, the presumed avatar and his followers totally annihilated a force many times their number. To this day, followers of the Trapmaster come from fairly long distances to pay their respects at the site . Affiliated Orders: Although there are no formal or widespread affiliated orders of the faith, there is an informal brotherhood of sorts among the more or less professional spies of the faith, sometimes known as the Eyes of Gaknulak. Similarly, some of the expert trap makers periodically gather to exchange information - although not too much information of course. Priestly Vestments: The only formal vestments that the followers of Gaknulak possess for formal occasions are the earth-colored cloaks worn in imitation of the Trapmaster. Not only are they useful for carrying small items in their innumerable pockets, but their earthy color is immensely helpful for camouflage and ambushes. Adventuring Garb: Besides their ceremonial cloaks, the followers of the Trapmaster often wear crudely made leather armor when traveling outside the home warren. They most often wield hand axes, although using other size S weapons is certainly not unheard of. Specialty Priests (Tapnulik): Requirements: Wisdom 9, Intelligence 13, Dexterity 9 Prime Req.: Wisdom, Intelligence Alignment: LE, NE Weapons: Any size "S" weapons Armor: leather, studded leather Major Spheres: All, charm, divination, elemental (air, earth), healing, guardian, protection, travelers, wards Minor Spheres: Combat, summoning, war Magical Items: Same as clerics, plus those items usable only by thieves Req. Prof: Hand axe Bonus Prof: Set snares, rope use, stonemasonry *Tapnulik must be kobolds *Tapnulik are allowed to multi-class as tapnulak/thieves *Tapnulik may select non-weapon proficiencies from the rogue group without penalty *Tapnulik who are single-classed have limited thieving skills as defined in the Limited Thieving Skills section of "Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests" in Demihuman Deities. Tapnulik/thieves receive no extra thieving skill points or bonuses from their tapnulik class; their thieving skills are based solely off their thief class. * At 1st level, tapnulik can set traps so that an enemy's chance to detect the trap is reduced by 5%. For each subsequent level the tapnulek attains, the chance is reduced by a further 5%. *At 1st level, tapnulik can cast phantasmal force once per day *At 3rd level, tapnulik can cast deeppockets or improved phantasmal force once per day *At 5th level, tapnulik can cast glyph of warding or spectral force once per day *At 7th level, tapnulik can cast dig or illusionary wall once per day *At 10th level, tapnulik can cast stone shape once per day *At 13th level, tapnulik can cast veil once per day Category:Kobold pantheon Category:Demipowers